Close to Heaven
by Teenage.Dream92
Summary: Coming back from the dead was supposed to be impossible. But then again, Hinata never put anything past Naruto.
1. Prologue

**Hello!** I'm TeenageDream92. If any of you have stalked my profile, you'll see that this isn't my very first FanFiction story, but it _is_ my very first Naruto story. A _NaruHina_ story. Sooo I'm excited about that! :) I'll ramble on at the bottom of this page, if any of you feel like sticking around for that (which you probably won't, haha), but for now…here is my first ever Naruto story! Hope those of you who read it enjoy it. :)

**Just a bit of background: **This story is set after the invasion of Pain. BUT, this is where the storyline sort of strays away from being canon. My story is meant to have a three-year time skip after Pain's invasion, which is why all of the characters will be older (Naruto is 19, Hinata is 18 because, as you probably know, her birthday is a little later than Naruto's). Oh, and yes, Konoha is still between Hokages. Shizune is kinda/sorta filling in for Tsunade at the moment. As crazy as that sounds. Other than that, I try to stick to the anime.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. Naruto & all associated characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

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><p><em>I can't breathe, but I still fight, while I can fight.<br>-Love The Way You Lie, Eminem ft. Rihanna_

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

It had been a stupid thought.

More than stupid, now that he thought about it. It was more like _moronic_.

Usually, the blonde wouldn't have undermined his own intelligence. Sure, he knew perfectly well that he wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box. But he also understood that everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses. Obviously, he was not lacking in the physical strength department. Not to mention his incredible stamina, perseverance, and ability to grasp new concepts in record time. And, he noted rather pointedly, there were his charming good looks. Although, most of the village girls hadn't noticed it yet, but he was sure they would. Almost certainly.

Eventually.

Hopefully.

Maybe?

He sighed quietly, closing his cobalt eyes in defeat. He would probably have to work on that last one a little bit.

Even so, he knew that he wasn't disadvantaged or weak by any means. Still, he couldn't help but feel that he had been duped in the brightness category. Half the time, he didn't seem to follow everyone else's train of thought. He _pretended_ like he knew what was going on; he nodded and responded thoughtfully, gave a confident reply after the short briefings, and even boasted how he would probably outshine everyone else. The _actual_ truth was that he was more out-of-the-loop than when Ero-Sennin was drunk on sake. And _that_ perverted old bastard – bless his little heart – was _really_ lost when he had a few too many. So lost, Naruto recounted rather ruefully, that he may have sort-of accidentally hit on his favourite student. A pick-up line may or may not have been involved.

But for the life of him, he'd _never_ admit it.

That didn't change the fact that he was still on this mission.

He opened his eyes a tad, trying to glance inconspicuously at her through the corner of his eye. She had seemed innocent enough, standing around and playing with some loose tendrils of her long hair. She had kept fidgeting this way and that, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, not seeming to care in the slightest what was going around her. And when she had seen him, she had greeted him with a voice that screamed innocence, one that was barely an octave above a whisper. Naruto's first thought had been that she was pleasant; a little plain, if anything, but pretty much a nice, normal girl.

He had been so stupid. So very, very stupid.

"Take a picture, hun, it'll last longer."

As if on cue, the girl gave him a bemused look, peering at him through the long blue bangs that framed her face. Her lips soon twisted into a smirk as she gazed at his dazed expression. It wasn't long before Naruto realized that he had been staring at her quite intensely, lost in his thoughts. He felt his face get a little hot as a light blush began to dust his cheeks, although he tried desperately to push it back.

"I-I don't _want_ a picture of you," he snapped lamely, feeling a little more than flustered. This stupid girl had managed to embarrass him for what seemed like the millionth time in the past three days. At least she didn't punch him. Sakura-chan could really do a number just for staring. It hadn't been _his_ fault that she had something on her face after lunch that one day. He couldn't decide how to tell her (apparently, saying "you have something on your face" wasn't an appropriate way for a guy to speak to a girl; he had learned that the hard way), so he was quiet. But that smudge _did_ draw attention to her face. He ended up with two bruises that night: one for staring at her 'indecently', and one for not pointing the horrendous smudge out.

Girls were…complicated.

"And that's _Uzumaki-san_ to you, brat," he muttered as an afterthought, half to himself. She clearly heard his comment because soon after, the slender girl was chuckling under her breath, an action that just served to infuriate him more. He knew that displeasing the client wasn't apart of the mission orders, but then again, he was never one to follow the rules. Iruka-sensei knew that perfectly well, and he wanted this girl to know it as well. Naruto Uzumaki was _no_ pushover. He could and _would _tell someone off, especially if they were being a pain in the ass. And this girl was definitely that. But he was aware that Sai, and probably Shizune-san, would have his head if he turned in anything less than a perfect mission.

He fell out of step with the girl, intentionally putting some space between them. It was probably better to keep some distance, considering how close he was to his breaking point. He had always found that the best thing to do in a situation like this was to do nothing at all, even though it annoyed the hell out of him. The worst part, though, was the fact that he had no one to blame for this mess but himself.

_What was I thinking when I begged Sai to let me take his mission?_ Naruto idly turned the thoughts over and over in his mind. To say he didn't know was a lie. He had wanted this mission. Hell, he had _needed_ this mission. He had pleaded with his teammate to let him substitute on the lowly D-rank, literally getting on his knees, his hands clasped together so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. He had just craved for a mission _so bad_ that he left his dignity far, far behind. The look on Sai's face, now that he thought about it, had been nothing short of amused. Of course, it _was_ a sight to behold. The most stubborn ninja of them all, on his knees and begging for a D-rank mission, no less. Naruto sighed, running a hand through his honey-blonde locks in frustration. He had actually _asked_ for a D-rank.

But he had to get away from them, away from the village. It was too suffocating. His beloved Konoha was what he called a devastatingly organized mess. Devastating because there was havoc everywhere he turned, everywhere he looked. The scenery was more or less demolished. Homes were completely destroyed, trees uprooted from their surroundings, and debris scattered from one end of the village to the other. His apartment, the one he had grew up in, was completely gone. There was nothing to remember it by, save for a partially broken cement wall that was most likely the support. It hurt. It hurt _a lot_. Even after three years, the situation hadn't improved much. The Konoha he grew up in was no longer the one he knew, but a massive crater in the heart of Fire Country. It was almost a masterpiece of destruction; it was as if it had been planned to a tee. Organized.

His heart ached looking at it. He placed a hand over his stomach as he felt the familiar and extremely uncomfortable sensation rising within the depths of his stomach and spreading throughout the rest of his body. _Crap_, he thought, as his eyes pricked just from the thought.

So he had taken off, with nothing but an apologetic expression and a hasty goodbye. Sai hadn't even agreed yet; honestly, the orange-clad ninja couldn't wait, so he took off, the strange blue-haired girl in tow. He left and never looked back. Naruto knew it was foolish and cowardly to run away from his problems. He knew it was even _worse_ that he left without getting permission from Shizune-san or any of the other jounin-sensei, especially since he was on a probation of sorts. Nonetheless he just really needed some time away. Just for a couple days. The D-rank mission was an opportunity to leave, get some fresh air and some time to think, and then head home with a clear mind.

But _she_ made him wish that he was anywhere but with her. _She_ made him want to go back home. _She_ made him question his own sanity. Many, many times.

Naruto let out yet another sigh. That seemingly normal girl hadn't seemed too outraged that he had dragged her along, hurrying her out of Kohona's Northern-most gate. She had just bobbed her head hastily and quickened her pace to match his. It wasn't until a little while later, once he was safely out of the village's vicinity, that he had stopped to introduce himself to her, carefully remembering to thank her for her cooperation with the slight change of plans. She had nodded, politely supplying her name when he asked. He recalled the pretty smile on her face when he asked her why she hadn't asked any questions.

That was when it all went to hell.

"Kaori," Naruto called, partly on a whim. He was intent on following his train of thought. "Tell me the truth. Why didn't you make a fuss when I dragged you out of Konoha?"

Kaori turned halfway without stopping, her high ponytail swinging as she continued to forge ahead. She met his intense blue gaze with a penetrating look of her own, although it was fleeting. She quickly turned around to focus on the pathway ahead, but not before replying. "Finally calling me by my name, are you?" She called in her jingly voice, letting out a hearty laugh. "No 'brat' tagged along to the end of your comment?"

"Oh, believe me, when I don't _say_ it, I _think_ it." Naruto muttered, staring daggers at the back of her head. _If only looks could kill_, he thought to himself before continuing. "And that still doesn't answer my question."

"Does it really matter?" she responded, bobbing her head once directly in front of her, gesturing to the arch that was quickly becoming larger and larger over the horizon. "We're here." Naruto squinted, reading out the bold letters scrawled against a wooden board that had scantily been placed across the bell-shaped structure. She was right; they were nearing their destination.

"It does matter," the blonde grumbled, showing his discontent. Unanswered questions were not among his favourite things around. Curiosity ate at him from the inside until there was no self-restraint remaining within his body. It didn't help that he had asked several times already, with no straight answer in sight. Kaori, strangely enough, happened to be very skilled at evasion tactics.

"Well, I already told you," she began, but soon paused. Idly, she twirled a small section of her hair between her fingers while she seemed to formulate the next part of her sentence within her head. "You were cute. Who am I to argue with a handsome, blonde-haired, blue-eyed guy like you?" She turned to wink one of her piercing emerald eyes at him, effectively causing his face to turn red within seconds. Kaori watched his reaction with fascination, throwing him an amused smile. "Plus, watching that blush of yours creep up your face is quite entertaining, I have to say,"

Naruto came to an abrupt stop, scowling. "You can't be serious."

She didn't answer, merely chuckled in response, continuing to lilt along the pathway. Her motions were so feathery that it seemed as if she was hovering above the ground like some sort of other-worldly goddess. Naruto watched her sinewy form forge ahead while he hung back, staring questioningly at the slowly receding image of her blessedly dark curls swaying back and forth while she slinked along. He scratched his cheek absently, trying to make sense of her words. Something just wasn't right; there was something in the way she behaved that gave Naruto chills, but he was lost as to what exactly it was.

He filed those thoughts away for later as he noticed that she was quickly becoming a small dot in the distance, and jogged up to her. There were no words from her when he caught up, simply a coy smile that sent more chills down his spine. He hated the uncomfortable, almost suffocating silence; he felt the need to fill the air with voices, even if it was just mindless chatter. But he knew that the best way to approach the girl was to handle her like one would a carrier bird; gently, patiently, and with a clear, defined strategy. He sure as hell did _not_ want that bird to become angry or afraid, and have it result in being pecked to death or being pooped on.

Well, in this case, the danger was more of being punched or dealing with a downpour of tears. Still risky.

The blonde ninja kept fiddling with the hem of his cape, trying to find a subtle way to introduce the topic once again. Naruto considered slipping it in casually, maybe by tying it to a compliment to mask the overall intention of his words. His thoughts were stopped, however, when Kaori's feet brushed the ground with a final step. She tilted her head upwards, staring at the entrance with somewhat jaded eyes, an expression which Naruto found to be very odd. Whether it was due to the absence of her usually perky behaviour or the way she was statue-still, he wasn't sure.

"Well," he began awkwardly, running a hand through his hair once again, "here's your stop." He placed his hands behind his head and fidgeted, at a loss for words. He wasn't usually good at this stuff anyways; he often let his comrades start, while he preferred to swoop in at the end with some sort of chipper comment about how this wasn't a goodbye, but more of a 'see you later' sort of deal. It didn't help that no one was with him this time, and that the girl in question was a little…_ tougher_ to handle.

"Yeah."

She made a slight motion which made Naruto's eyes drift downwards from her eyes to her hands. They brought the small wooden box that she held closer to her body, protectively cradling it against her abdomen. He knew that there was no reason to linger, no need to stay and smile oh-so-sheepishly at the petite girl, no tangible explanation as to why he was rooted in the spot without saying his goodbyes and getting the hell out of there.

And yet, he hesitated – possibly for a fraction of a second too long – without bidding farewell. It was the nagging voice within his head that told him to hold off, to see how she would react, what she would do, what she would say. He, himself, wasn't sure why on earth he paused. He seemed to be on autopilot, with his carefully trained sense of right and wrong guiding him through the process. While he found nothing to be wrong, the cloying feeling that was clawing its way into his system begged to differ. Naruto looked at her somewhat expectantly, subtly trying to study her movements as if he had the analytical prowess of a Hyuuga.

That was when he saw it. It was so fleeting that it was almost nonexistent. But it was definitely there. A look of uncertainty, mixed with fear and guilt. Kaori looked away from his gaze, no longer eyeing him with the edge she once had. She had swapped her trademark coquettish smile for a deep frown. She bit her lip very tersely, adding to the growing tension her body had seemed to acquire from some unknown source. Again, she hugged the chest close to her body in a rare moment of vulnerability, a visual tick that worried him for some unknown reason. What she didn't say and didn't do spoke volumes to him. Something was very, very wrong.

As soon as it appeared, however, it was gone. The Kaori Hara he knew – the annoying, bratty, seventeen-year-old with an ego the size of an elephant and an arsenal of catty quips – returned, and in full force. Her grassy eyes were lined with a steel of determination which rivalled his own, and frankly, frightened him. It stunned him into a silence of sorts, as he tried to grasp what was going on. He didn't get a verbalized answer from her. But he didn't need one. Everything he needed was right in front of him.

"Kaori?"

Naruto tried to reverse the change in atmosphere, using the softest tone he could muster. He fought the urge to pull a kunai and instead took on a more soothing approach. She was a girl, a harmless villager. She probably meant no harm by her strange behaviour. It was bizarre, but understandable. To say goodbye to a friend was difficult; to admit being sad was worse, especially for a girl like Kaori. Her moodiness could be easily explained. It was completely ordinary. It was _normal_.

"Kaori,"

No response. His gut saw through his unconvincing lies and stories. For once, Naruto hoped that his instincts were completely wrong.

"Kao–"

He stopped saying her name quite abruptly when she cautiously bent downward to lower the small box to her feet. And while the nervousness had completely dissipated from her face, the same confidence had not spread to the rest of her body. The chest slipped through her fingers before she was able to set it down, hitting the ground and clattering to a position just several inches from Naruto's feet. He tensed ever-so-slightly, his eyes trained on its path from the girl to himself.

_Was it…?_

A mere second was all it took for Naruto to notice something amiss. Only one second to notice the visual cues that were irrevocably tied to humans – the body language, the expressions, the subtle habits. He wasn't particularly talented at identifying the signs, and he could never measure up to the higher standards of more experienced jounin or those with doujutsu. However, this time, he knew. His sense was more resolute, acute, and concentrated. Just a single second was all it took for him to size up the situation.

But it only took less than a second for everything to go wrong.

"Thank you, Naruto-san,"

His sky blue eyes snapped upwards when he felt Kaori's soft voice directly in front of him. His orbs were met with her own vivid ones, holding his gaze almost magnetically. Her arms had swiftly found his shoulders and were now draped loosely around his neck, bringing her uncomfortably close to him. Naruto felt his heart take off at an alarming rate, clamouring within him and rattling his ribcage. Whether it was due to her sudden closeness or the sense of impending doom, he couldn't tell.

He tried lifting his arms to push her away, only to find them laden with some unknown weight. It didn't take long for Naruto to catch on. _Genjutsu._ His mind flipped through the past few seconds briefly, analyzing her carefully planned steps. _I was watching her up until she dropped that box…_ He winced as he caught his mistake. His eyes had drifted by the tiniest amount, but it was enough to give her the advantage. _She's fast_. His eyes followed her slender arms from her shoulders to his. One second, maybe even less than that, had allowed her to make those hand signs; a speed that rivalled even Kurenai-sensei.

_Unless–_

"Thanks for escorting me home," Kaori expanded on her previous words, breaking Naruto of his silent trance. She cocked her head, a calm smile plastered to her face. It was _too_ calm – it was almost sadistic. She was ready to make her move, but he sure as hell was _not_. He bit his lip, trying desperately to come up with a plan of action. Several seconds wasn't enough come up with a plan. He had to keep her talking.

"Naruto-san?" He finally spoke up and was surprised to hear his voice slightly shaky. He cleared his throat, steadying his voice to make sure that she knew he wasn't scared. His eyes met hers, unflinching, as he continued. "You're finally calling me by my name? No 'hun' tagged along to the end?"

She laughed at his mimicry, tightening her chokehold on his shoulders as she did so. Had he been able to move, Naruto would have shied away from her touch. Instead, due to his lack of movement, Kaori inched her way closer and closer until her body was pressed firmly against his. He could feel his face grow warm as the blush started to creep up once again. She noticed the subtle change and smirked, unclasping her hands from behind his neck and using one dainty hand to trace a line across his jaw. The soft pinkness to his cheeks turned into a fiery crimson. "Mostly for show," she responded, her fingers still grazing the surface of his face. They came upon the trademark whisker marks on his right cheek and dawdled a little bit, causing the hairs on Naruto's neck to stand on end. "Not to say that it was all fake. I _do_ like you."

Naruto huffed awkwardly, collecting his thoughts. _What is she doing to me?_ He sighed inwardly, noticing her strengths and…attributes. She was so distracting, with her body pressed like _that_ and her finger drawing circles on his face. It was so damn _confusing_; Kaori was making it increasingly hard for him to disrupt his chakra and break the genjutsu. He didn't like her; he barely knew her. So why the hell was it so difficult?

"And the box?" He asked, desperately trying to divide his attention between keeping a conversation going, figuring out what was going on, and breaking the flow of his chakra. It was hard trying to focus on three things at once, especially for him; he had a knack for losing focus. He needed to put his all into this task, or he was toast. Burnt toast.

"Empty." She drawled, dragging out the word. "And that nifty little way you have of breaking illusions won't work. Believe me, I've tried."

The blonde's eyes widened as he stopped all three of his tasks simultaneously, staring at the girl with a look of shock. She looked back with a half-sympathetic, half-triumphant expression. So she was a sensory-type ninja, rather than the genjutsu-type he had originally pinned her to be. That meant that she wasn't the one casting the genjutsu, and explained the quickly-executed hand signs and near-perfect timing.

She wasn't alone.

"You've…" He started, and paused when she pulled herself impossibly closer to him, tugging his head downwards in the process. He was so close to her now, her head just inches from his. He felt the need to squirm but, to his dismay, he still couldn't. _She's right,_ he realized, panic suddenly gripping his insides. "…tried?" The last part came out a little strangled, although he was far from paying attention to his own words. His mind was racing at a hundred miles per second. Who was this girl? Where was her accomplice? And _why_ did he suddenly feel the onslaught of déjà vu?

Kaori finally removed her hand from his rattled face and ran it through his golden locks of hair, stopping at the tuft of hair lining his neck. "Mhmm," she hummed, holding onto those loose strands fiercely and using them to push his face even closer to hers.

_No, no, no!_ Naruto's mind screamed as her face – _and_ her lips – hovered closely over his, now just a breath apart. It was so _wrong_. This could not be happening…he was just as ready for this as he was when he had accidentally done this with Sasuke, or that annoying chick Fuuka from that group of grave robbers. He wasn't ready for this. He didn't want this. He already had som—

And that was when she stopped moving forward, and simply held him in place. Relief washed over him, releasing the tension. It was short-lived, though, as she sighed sadly. "Sorry, hun," she whispered in a breathy way, closing her eyes in what seemed to be a painful expression. Her abrupt change in mood seemed to cause the same reaction he'd had before, as those same chills made his way down his spine.

It was as quick as he imagined, but not as painless. The paralysis was the only thing that stopped him from writhing in agony. He suffered wordlessly, a pained expression on his face. His knees buckled of their own accord, effectively lowering him down into the dirt. More pain reverberated through his body. Spots flashed before his eyes, and he could feel unconsciousness hanging heavily over him, trying to pull him from reality. On willpower alone, he managed to stay conscious, although he knew his time was limited; he could feel the blood from the wound dripping down his back, adding blood loss to the long list of ailments he now possessed.

More parts of his body gave away yet again as Naruto collapsed to the ground completely. He tried to muster up the strength to break the genjutsu but found himself to be utterly powerless, his chakra supplies dangerously low and still decreasing. He laid motionless, the weight of his body completely on his left arm, unable to say or do anything. He hurt more than anything in the world, but not from physical pain. It wasn't from the shock he had received when he found out that Kaori was manipulating him. It wasn't from the fear that enveloped him when he noticed his mistake. It wasn't even from his inability to do anything once he had been caught.

As the light faded from his eyes, blurring his vision into a nothingness that only he could understand, he uttered a final word that died on his lips.

A name.

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><p><strong>Let me know what you think!<strong> I would love to hear! And if you don't feel like reviewing, that's fine too, thanks for reading. :) I will try to post the chapters as often as I can, although I can't promise constant updates (with university and everything, it gets extremely hectic). So I'll be a sporadic writer at best. I _do_ have this whole story planned out, though, so it's simply a matter of making it all sound as good as I can.

Anyways, thanks again! Look forward to hearing from you!

Peace & Love – TD92

PS: I'm not sure how author alerts work, but just wanted to say sorry to anyone who has me on author alerts in the Beyblade fandom, and expected to see an update for TFD! I haven't quite gotten back to TFD yet. :( Hopefully I'll get back soon! Thanks for being patient with me!


	2. Losing Light

**Hi there! :)** Thanks to **aryaputra **for reviewing, and all those who favourited this story! And thanks as well to any reader who just stopped by…my hit-counter tells me about it lol. :P Hope you all enjoyed! Here is the next chapter…kind of angsty but it needs to be done for this story to get anywhere. Let me know what you think afterwards!

Oh and yes, despite the prologue, this is definitely a NaruHina story. It'll be kinda obvious soon hehe.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. Naruto & all associated characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

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><p><em>And I can't breathe without you, but I have to.<br>-Breathe, Taylor Swift_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Losing Light<strong>

_Mhmm._

Hinata's thoughts were a murky mess at the surface. She was just on the cusp of consciousness, teetering on the line between dreams and reality. When she was finally pushed over the edge, she didn't immediately open her eyes. Instead, she tried remembering what she had been thinking about before she had metaphorically hit the wall. It proved to be extremely difficult, since all she could really think about was the darkness. She supposed it wasn't unlikely that she had been drifting in some sort of limbo, but she still found it odd; usually she recalled her dreams with the utmost clarity.

A subtle sound to her left took her attention away from her dreams and the discomfort harvesting within her stomach. Hinata listened carefully, trying to form a mental picture of her surroundings within her head. There was one…no, there were _two _people. Both of them were making identical noises but from separate directions. The soft, repeated rustling told her that they were outdoors, possibly in a grassy field. She tried thinking back to her last few moments of consciousness.

_What was I doing?_

She kept drawing a blank, although her thoughts seemed to idle on something intangible. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it was as if it was on the tip of her tongue. Hinata struggled to pull the thought out of the depths of her mind; it seemed like her brain was far away, focussed on something else. She was getting distracted by the sudden explosion of sunlight hitting her eyes, causing her to see a faint orange glow behind her eyelids.

_Wait…orange…_

Her mind finally clicked as it found the subconscious connection. _Naruto-kun_, she chimed in her head, relishing the way it bounced off the walls of her head. The way it sounded, the way it was _supposed_ to sound, was so fun, so quirky, and so _him_. Time and time again, she wished it came out coherently when she said it out loud. She desperately wanted him – and frankly, _herself_ – to hear the way his name rolled off her tongue, light and breezy with a hint of…

Flirty?

The thought almost made her shrink in embarrassment, although no one could hear her thoughts. It wasn't _so_ outrageous for a girl to be a little coy; at least, that's what she reassured herself. How _was_ a girl to be flirty with a guy? It was fairly unchartered territory (fairly because she had tried it once, and yes, it _did_ count even though her voice failed her and came out all squeaky) and the thought usually scared her. But to get his attention, it seemed like she needed to add something extra. Maybe she had to bat her eyelashes or put her hand on his shoulder, lean in close and say his name smoothly, with no stutters interrupting her…

_Naruto-kun_.

The sultry way she imagined saying it made her cheeks burn. _Oh my god, am I blushing?_ She remained very still, hoping that the two roaming around near her didn't notice the bright red tint to her face. It was known that her fiery crimson blush was like a beacon, calling out to whoever and whatever was nearby. A red face in a field of green grass was as easy to spot as Naruto-kun's bright orange jumpsuit. And while the orange suited him (and wasn't _nearly_ as embarrassing) the blush most definitely did not suit her. She wished it would disappear altogether from her life. Maybe things would be simpler.

At least, thinking about Naruto-kun would be a whole lot simpler.

Unfortunately, she felt a light gust of wind that told her that someone had dropped down beside her. Her shinobi sense kicked in quite quickly after that, as she employed a brief check of the chakra. She sighed inwardly when she noticed that it was simply Kiba-kun and Akamaru that had been wandering around her all this time.

"Hinata?"

She didn't want to get up. She was perfectly fine as she was; drained from the embarrassment of fainting, but still perfectly happy dreaming about the day she would be able to talk to Naruto-kun properly. Hinata somehow refrained from responding. Eventually Kiba-kun would get tired of waiting on her and start training or something. That was her one and only opportunity to get away unscathed. Before he noticed, she would sneak into the surrounding forest and run away. Far, far away. Away from his incessant comments about how she "always fainted around Naruto" or "always became so flustered around Naruto". She knew perfectly well what Naruto-kun did to her (made her weak in the knees, overwhelmingly euphoric, get butterflies, want to sing…) but she did _not_ need Kiba-kun's commentary. At first, it seemed like he was genuinely confused about the whole situation. Now it seemed like he did it on purpose.

Sometimes Kiba-kun was such an…_indecent person_ (she refused to use bad words since it made her feel terrible, even if he _was_ being quite the donkey).

When five minutes went by and Kiba-kun did not move from his spot, Hinata began to feel uneasy. He was rarely ever subdued, let alone quiet and statuesque. It was typical of him to stay silent for _maybe_ two minutes at a time, and that was on a good day. Today he wasn't even talking to Akamaru, and an uncomfortable silence seemed to fill the hot summer air around them.

"What if we broke her?"

When she heard his voice, she felt another wave of relief wash over her. She remained still as she registered his words and the unpleasant atmosphere it left. _Broke_ her? Did that mean they were training, and that she had taken some sort of hit from Kiba-kun or Akamaru? Beside her, she felt the soft fur of Kiba-kun's canine friend brush against her right hand, bringing her away from her thoughts. This was followed by the feeling of Akamaru laying his head squarely over her stomach, placing his snout and paws on her abdomen. The dog barked softly in response to Kiba-kun's question, tickling Hinata in the process. She barely stopped herself from giggling.

"I know it's not our fault, but it's _Hinata_." The emphasis on he put on her name made her insides churn. She took her mind off of Akamaru's wriggling form and concentrated more of herself on Kiba-kun's words. "It was probably the hardest on her…"

Her heart almost stopped as his voice drifted off quite brokenly. Her heart seemed to mimic his voice; it thrummed unsteadily and awkwardly within her chest. This caused the discomfort in her stomach – the feeling she had temporarily put aside – to come to the forefront of her problems. She was definitely missing something. Something terrible.

For some reason, the same name she had been saying to herself repeated itself again within her head. She told herself that it was for her own reassurance.

_Naruto-kun._

Akamaru whimpered, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. To her left, she felt Kiba-kun sigh. Shortly after, she felt the warmness of the sun leave her, as Kiba-kun, and his following shadow, leaned over her still form. Like Akamaru, he placed his head over Hinata. "Well, she's still breathing," he remarked to his dog, probably lifting his head up after confirming the sound of her shallow breaths and unsteady heartbeat. "Damn it, Akamaru…" She heard the emotion in his voice without seeing it for herself, causing her heart to swell and the knot in her stomach to double in size. When she felt a small drop of water fall onto her cheek and slide down, she knew she couldn't fake her unconsciousness anymore.

"Kiba-kun?"

His charcoal eyes immediately flung wide open in the middle of yet another tear. The lone tear slid down the rest of his face and plopped down on her face once again. Roughly, he wiped the tears from his face. He was trying to hide his being upset, and not very well. "Hinata," he started thickly, "you're okay." The relief he felt was fairly evident in the way he said every word of the sentence; like he was just so thankful for every breath. It sent a chill down her spine.

"Yes," she replied, biting on her lip. "W-what's wrong?"

"You don't remember?" When she shook her head, he gave her a blank stare. "Okay then…" Hinata tensed as she waited for his reply. By the dazed look on his face, she knew that he was still trying to register her words and actions. He opened his mouth as if to say something and then closed it. Soon, he repeated the gesture; opened, and then closed. Obviously, he couldn't find the right words to say something to her.

"Kiba-kun," she interrupted his thinking session with a very firm voice, much to her surprise, "tell me."

"N-nothing." He said simply, stuttering as like she would have if she were trying to hide something. Kiba-kun was so easy to read sometimes. Kind of like Naruto-kun – he was an open book.

_Naruto-kun._

What was with her?

"I'm serious, K-Kiba-kun," she reiterated, although this time her voice was an octave lower (and shakier, for that matter) than it was before. She just couldn't shake the unwholesome feeling she kept getting with every heartbeat, the one that kept telling her that something was about to change. That something might have already changed.

"Shino went to go get some water—"

"Kiba-k-kun," Hinata mustered up as much of her inner strength as she could and attempted to firm up her voice and her composure. But the sound of her voice outside of her head was way more fragile, more vulnerable than it had ever been before. For a split second, she contemplated letting it go. It was nothing, it would be nothing. The fact that _he _came to mind was nothing. It was all an overreaction. Or an obsession. She was always thinking about him.

Her mind told her nothing. _Nothing_.

She could pass off her anxiety as nothing. She could pass off her racing heart as nothing. She could pass off her sweaty palms and brows as nothing. She could pass off the tears in his eyes as nothing. She could pass off the nauseating feeling in her stomach as nothing.

But she couldn't pass off the flood of memories that came back to her as her pale eyes found the tiny orange ribbon attached neatly around her teammate's forearm.

"It's…"

One heartbeat.

"…well…"

Two heartbeats.

"…Naruto."

By the third heartbeat, her heart had shattered into an infinite number of pieces. Silent drops cascaded down her cheeks and fell onto her sweater, leaving tiny spots of water along the lilac-coloured fabric. She had known; somehow, her brain had remembered, but she didn't want to believe it. Because it was _Naruto-kun_. Lopsided grin and sunny hair, endlessly blue eyes and vivid personality to match. Beautifully bizarre choice of clothing and the charming way he scratched his cheek when he was trying to be modest. The epitome of hope, courage, and determination. He was _Naruto-kun_. He was invincible, indestructible. He wasn't…he just _couldn't_ be.

She closed her eyes tightly, letting the never-ending waterfall of tears fully engulf her entire face. She clenched her fists in frustration, wishing desperately that unconsciousness would swallow her once again, this time permanently. Anything to escape a world that was so dramatically different, so much more suffocating than it was before. Whether he knew it or not, he was the sun to her solar system. And without him, the world just wasn't bright anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Hinata…"

Hearing Kiba-kun saying it out loud made it so _final_. Naruto-kun was gone, and she would never see him again. Vaguely, Hinata felt Kiba-kun wrap his arms around her as she finally let out a wracking sob that shook her petite frame. She laid her head on Kiba-kun's shoulder and clenched the fabric of his jacket between her hands, weeping more than she had ever in her life.

But through it all, the only thing Hinata could think was that she didn't need a sorry.

She needed Naruto-kun.

**X X X X**

Hinata delicately pulled her dark tresses into a high ponytail and held it there. At first, she didn't secure it, just pulled as much hair as she could from her face and kept it in place with one hand. She looked at herself in the mirror. It was an understatement to say she looked horrible. With swollen red eyes and puffy cheeks, it looked like she had been assaulted. Which, she thought to herself glumly, wasn't all that far from the truth. She _had_ been assaulted. Just not physically, per se.

It was pretty much all she could manage, though. Her will to get up in the morning had radically declined to a point where she didn't get up, even to eat. Food was brought to her on a silver platter (in true Hyuuga fashion, she scoffed) and she always declined. Her father was starting to get worried. Her _father_. Even in the state she was in, she recognized how ground-breaking that development was. It wasn't that he was a bad father, just a busy one. He was too involved in other more important matters, like tending to Hanabi-chan's training or general clan affairs. The fact that he was actually thinking of her was…surprising.

Even that wasn't enough to bring her out of the darkness. _And nothing probably will_, she finished in her head. Hinata closed her eyes and bit her lip, trying to keep herself from crying. She thought she'd cried herself out over the past three days, but there was obviously a bit left. One managed to escape the confines of her eye and dripped down onto her dresser, hitting it with a slight plop. That sound was soon followed by a knock at her door.

"Hinata-sama? Are you alright?"

She recognized the voice right away; after all, he was like second father to her. "Ko-san," she somehow managed to say in her state, although she couldn't fathom how. "Yes. I'm alright. Thank you."

Hinata heard him place a hand on her doorknob and begin to turn it, although he hesitated. There was a strict rule against entering a room without asking first at the Hyuuga household, especially for those who were part of the head family. But Ko-san was more than just the people she was obligated to see and greet and put up with; he was truly the embodiment of the word _family_. Naturally, he was allowed to enter without a second thought, although he never actually barged in. Force of habit, she guessed.

"Come in, Ko-san. You don't have to get my permission."

The door opened with a _click_ and she turned around to greet him fully, or as fully as she could. He kept the door only slightly ajar and peered into the room uneasily. She knew he was extremely uncomfortable; they all were. Ever since the news, they had been tiptoeing around her. To be honest, she didn't even mind. Hinata continued to stare at the nervous Hyuuga, smiling softly when he couldn't find the proper words at first. "Ah," he started, tapping his fingers against the doorframe, "are you sure you're alright, Hinata-sama?"

"I'm fine, thank you." She turned away from him and towards the mirror so he wouldn't see the lonely tear that slid silently down her cheek, and continued to fiddle with her hair.

"Forgive me, Hinata-sama, but you do not look _fine_."

She wiped the tear from her face a little forcefully and swivelled back towards him. She released the bunch that her hair was in, allowing it to fall roughly to her shoulders. "I know."

"And?"

"And," she sighed, closing her eyes. "You should come in _fully_ before we start this conversation."

He seemed to think about it for a fraction of a second, and then slipped in as quickly and quietly as possible. Ko-san pressed his back to the door awkwardly, still fidgeting mercilessly. It was obvious that he was trying to order his words in a polite-but-firm way, trying to make it so that it did not hurt her feelings but got the point across. She was no daisy; she knew how to handle criticism from others. Not to say that she _enjoyed _it (it sucked, majorly) but she preferred that it was out in the open. She could take anything with a smile on her face.

One of the perks of living with the Hyuuga.

"Hinata-sama, I am terribly sorry for your loss."

His words hit her hard. And not simply because she was overwhelmingly depressed, either. It was also due to the guilt she felt within the pit of her stomach. Knotted tightly and fastened securely to her conscience, guilt wracked her very core since the night she found out. She had no right to be as sad as she was; he wasn't _hers_ and he barely even spoke to her. She wasn't the most important person in his life. There were so many others. How she could feel this self-pitying was disgusting to her. She should have been out comforting Sakura-san or Kakashi-sensei. Even Neji-niisan. But she had no right whatsoever to feel sorry for herself. No excuse whatsoever. He was not _her_ loss.

He was everyone's loss.

"Ko-san, do not apologize to _me_," she responded firmly, wincing slightly at the metallic edge to her voice. "He was a shinobi. Brave shinobi die in battle all the time. It is a great honor." Her eyes burned with tears that threatened to escape. She couldn't have hated herself more for uttering those horrible words. Nothing was more untrue. It was so, _so_ wrong to be speaking like a Hyuuga. Yes, she was technically "one of them", but it wasn't a way to live. It wasn't the way to be speaking of Naruto-kun. Her _Naruto-kun ._ Mentally, she chastised herself for the wave of self-sympathy that washed over her. "It is a sad thought to know he is gone, but I am not the worst off right now. We must think of others now."

"Do not listen to your father." She should have known he would have caught on; he was always so intuitive, especially when it came to her feelings. She breathed uneasily as he continued. "You do not have to hide your emotions for the sake of clan pride, Hinata-sama."

"I know." And she did know, with every fibre of her being. She could and _would_ stand up to her father someday…it was just that today wasn't that day. It wasn't about her.

"Then?"

"Then what, Ko?" In her exasperated state, she forgot to add the honorific to his name (her heart told her that it was partly because she was angry and sad and offended and simply overwhelmed all at the same time, for about a million different reasons). He wasn't surprised, but rather amused at her outburst. She could see the fond expression that came through as he fought to control the somewhat sad smile on his face. The smile hit his eyes in the weirdest way, causing them to crinkle and bunch up at the edges. He was reminiscing. The thought just made her more flustered, a side that only he knew. "Stop it, Ko."

"Your mother," he responded, much to her surprise. She waited for his next words. "You are just like her."

Her heart thrummed painfully. Within seconds, the pent-up irritation she had felt dissipated and left her feeling hollow inside. Almost like a reflex, her hand made its way up to her neck, where it found the one object that kept her mother tied to her, even though she was another world away. Her index finger and thumb rubbed its surface. Instantly, she felt calmed, although the depression hit her harder than it had…with twice the force.

"If this is your idea of making me feel better, it's not working."

He smiled sadly and walked to her fragile form carefully, easing her onto her bed and sitting himself beside her. She vaguely felt his hand rubbing her back, much the way he used to when she was younger. The tears fell freely now, and for the first time in a long while, it was in front of a Hyuuga.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, "But your mannerisms, the way you look, the way you stand tall, and even the way you act, with that hidden temper of yours…it is all her. It is all Haruna-sama." Hinata sniffled, letting his voice whisk her away into a better time. To days with flower-picking and making cookies, kimono shopping and bedtime stories. She wished that she could go back to being a kid, away from the mess of real life and its unbearable losses. As if he read her thoughts, Ko-san continued with his soothing voice. "I know it is difficult right now, without your mother and now without Uzumaki-san. But they will _always_ be with you, Hinata-sama." She looked up at him and saw his own eyes glistening. "My own mother once told me, 'Those who die will never be gone, for they will be embodied in the lives of the people they have touched.' So please, do not cover up for the sake of anyone else. Be who they taught you to be."

How he managed to find the right words was beyond her. "T-Thank you, Ko-san," she croaked, returning his gesture with a hug.

He nodded at her a little embarrassedly and stood up. "You must be going, Hinata-sama. You do not want to be late." He walked to her dresser and pulled the tiny orange ribbon from its place on the mirror. "I suppose he taught you that orange was the best colour for any shinobi?"

Hinata smiled, pulling her hair into the ponytail it was once in, leaving a few strands out to frame her face. She took the ribbon from his outstretched hand and quickly tied her long locks in place. "That, and more," she finally replied as Ko-san slipped out silently and shut the door. She stood at the mirror for a moment and fingered the necklace that was hidden beneath her Konoha headband. The blonde had taught her _so_ much more.

After one final tug at her black dress, she decided to head out. The funeral of Naruto Uzumaki was sure to be a long one.

* * *

><p><strong>That's all, folks!<strong> This chapter was meant to be an intro to the story, which is why it might seem slow. This is sort of the basis of the plot so I had to add in a few things that will probably come up again later. :P Things will get a little more interesting very, very soon. ;) Anyways, review to let me know how it was! And maybe tell me your favourite characters in Naruto! Haha, I'm always interested in peoples' top 3.

Oh, and omg! The latest episode of Naruto Shippuden! Just watched it yesterday…so great. I love Minato and Kushina, they are so great with each other. MinaKushi kind of reminds me of NaruHina a little, actually (Kushina/Naruto the loud ones, Minato/Hinata the quiet ones). Made me smile. :)

Anyways, until next time!

-TD92

EDIT: Fixed the typo with Neji's honorific... "niisan" instead of "oneesan"...thanks to **aryaputra** for pointing that out!


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